Folding table with cross legs



Jan. 19', 1954 MCCORMICK 2,666,682

FOLDING TABLE WITH CROSS-LEGS Filed July 10, 1950 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 19 1954 FOLDING TABLE WI'I H CROSS LEGS Morris D.McCormick, Muncie, Ind., assignor to McCormick Brothers Company,Albany,lnd., a corporation of Indiana Application July 10, 1950, SerialNo. 172,807

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-83) This invention relates to furniture and parsignsof tables of this character have heretofore been suggested and placed inuse. In accordance with the present invention a table is provided inwhich the effective table top comprises a rectangular sheet of thingauge metal and the foldable table top supporting means includes as oneof its principal elements a table top engaging frame, two parallelterminal strips or margins of the table top being curved downwardly andaround two parallel members of this supporting frame and thetop. andfoldable supporting means being thus permanently connected in a simplebut thoroughly effective manner. Those portions ofthe table top engagingand stiffening frame of the foldable supporting means which areencircled by the curved margins of the top comprise stifiening elementsafter such assembly has been effected, making it possible to utilize, informing the top, a relatively light weight sheet of metal the resultingtop having, however, sufficient mechanical strength for all ordinarypurposes. Likewise the two remaining portions of the top engaging framewhich directly'contact with the undersurface of the top, serve tosupport the top and hold it against downward flexure, the net resultbeing that a table of very great strength-but of light weight isobtained.

In the accompanying drawings one embodivment of the invention isillustrated by way of example. It will be appreciated by those skilledin the art, however, that, without departure from the invention, minorchanges in the design and arrangement of its several elements may beeffected.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the table;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the upper portion thereof;

Figure 3 is a similar view, the parts of the foldable supporting meansbeing shown in the positions which they occupy when the table as anentirety is suspended by its top;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the table, the supporting means beingshown-in folded condition; and

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

ticularly to folding tables of small size and light The table top I6 ispreferably rectangular and, as heretofore stated, is fabricated of lightgauge sheet metal, attractively painted, enameled or otherwise coated.Its margins are preferably turned downwardly and inwardly to constitutestiffening beads and two of these margins, disposed at its oppositeends, comprise means for securing the table top to the foldable support,as will hereinafter be made clear. Thus the foldable support for thetable includes as one of its principal members a rectangular frame ll ofheavy Wire or like material, the width of this frame being somewhat lessthan the width of the table top it but the length thereof beingsubstantially the same as that of the table top. Parallel end elements Ha and Ho of the frame i i are encircled by the downwardly and inwardlycurved margins ltd and lllb of the top l0, as most clearly shown inFigure 6, this frame thus being securely attached to the top It and theend edges of the top being substantially stiffened by the elements Heand Elb.

The longitudinally extending elements I la and i Id of the frame H aredisposed parallel to each other and directly underlie and engage thelower surface of the table top, comprising. longitudinally extending topsupporting members as well as functioning as elements to which thefolding legs of the support are attached.

The folding support comprises, in addition to frame I l, two generallyrectangular frame-like legs 12 and I3 each having a floor engagingportion slightly wider than the table top engaging and supporting frameH, and two parallel elongated portions adapted to transmit, when thetable is erected and in operative position, the weight of the topandarticles supported thereon to the floor or ground engaging portion. Thislast mentioned portion of the leg member I2 is indicated at l2a and thecorresponding element of the leg member I3 is indicated at I3a. Theelongated upright elements of the leg members are indicated at I21? andI20 and I3?) and I30 respectively. To one of these leg members is weldedor otherwise firmly attached a crossbrace l5 and the ends of thiscross-brace l5 pass through and are rotatably retained within loops oreyelet members [6 and i1 welded or otherwise suitably secured to thesecond leg member, the result being that the two leg members 12 and I3may be relatively rotated about the axis of the cross-brace i5 from thepositions in which they are shown in Figure 1 of the drawings intosubstantial parallelism with each other, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 ofthe drawings.

The upper ends of the upright elements 121) and 120 of the leg member I2are inturned, likewise the upper ends of the upright leg elements I31)and E30 of the second leg member, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5.The inturned upper ends of elements 12b and [20, which ends areindicated at lid and 12e, respectively, are adapted to slidelongitudinally of theparallelside members l 10 and I Id of the table topsupporting frame I i, from the position in which one of these members isshown in Figure 6 of the drawings; when the table supporting meansisfully folded, to the position in which this member is shown in Figure2 of the drawings, member He comprise ing a top guide for the inturnedendv He'during;

such movement, the bottom guide, cooperating with element I l c inconstraining end We to move in a path parallel to the table top, twosuch guides, indicated at l8 and I9, being provided.

The ends of each such guide are welded to the ss ci d e memb s of theframe the guard being thus rely fastened in position At one end eachguard i8 is provided with .de-. pending looped portion lilaand at theother end with an eye till), the inturnedends I311 and We of the legelements. I31) and 13c, respectively, passing through alignedeyes i813and 1919, within which these portions may freely rotate, the leg element13 thus being connected to the frame ii for swinging movement about anaxis passing through the loop members l$b and. I92). As one of the legmembers is pivoted for swinging movement about an axis fiXfid withrespect to the top and the second is mounted for. rotation about theaxis of the cross-brace [5, the two leg members may be moved intoparallelism or folded position or disposed angularly with respect toeach other, as indicated in Figure l, to support the table top in agenerally horizontal plane. When the table is unfolded or erected theinturned ends l2d and 12c of the leg member i2 will be positioned asshown in Figure 2, the table top being supported in a sturdy manner soas to be able to bear substantial burdens.

It is desirable that the table be; so designed that it may be readilylifted by its top and moved from place to place without causing collapseof the supporting structure. This is easily. possible, the bearer of thetable picking it up by its ends as indicated diagrammatically in Figure3, the inturned ends 82d and l2e of the leg element {2; droppingdownwardly into the. oops- I8a and its of the guard members 18 and [9respectively, the leg member l2 being thus locked against accidentalrotation about cross-brace 1.5 during theoarrying operation. Then, whenthe table is again lowered to the supporting floor there will be nocollapse orshifting ofthe-supporting elements.

Preferably the foldable supporting means is formed of heavy wire and thewires are welded to each other. The table top It, as previouslyexplained, may conveniently be fabricated of metal of light weight orthin gauge and the table as an entirety is light in weight, attractivein appearance, and may easily be fabricated at relatively'low cost.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1.. A folding table comprising a rectangular top of light gauge sheetmetal and a collapsible support therefor, said support including arectangu- 1 lar frame and rectangular legs attached thereto for bodilymovement about an axis fixed with respect to said frame and relativeangular movement about an axis movable toward and away 1 frame. forswingingmovement about an axis fixed MORRIS'D. MCQORMICK.

References Cited in the-file Of' this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber:

Name Date 6.0.6.845 Simmons July 5, 189.8 1,313,662. Armstrong Aug. 19,1919 2,029,434. Mitchell Feb. l, 19.36 2,114,912 Cox Apr. 19., 153332,288,737 Page July 7, 1942 2,516,933 Wallance. Aug. 1, 1950 2,540,875Genge Feb. 6, 19.51

